We had a very special Thanksgiving this year, we spent the
holiday week in sunny Orlando! Hands down, a memorable trip I'll cherish forever. Everything from the weather, the company, the games, Disney experiences and the most beautiful hotel (Gaylord Palms), it was all perfect.
I have to admit, I was pretty nervous to fly alone with
Maggie and Emma. I thought it would be smart to fly at night, thinking the
girls would sleep. No sleep, unless you count the last 15 minutes of the
flight. The girls are active and curious who like to touch everything, chase
each other and ask questions. I remember texting some friends during the hour layover
in St. Louis that I would never fly alone with the girls again. It was constant
re-directing. But, I took a deep breath and knew we would be in Florida soon
and it would all be worth it. I truly believe that we as parents worry so much
about our kids behaving, that in all reality, they are being perfectly normal
acting kids. In fact many people complimented me of how great of travelers the
girls were and well behaved. HA!!!! Really though, thank goodness for snacks and the iPad/LeapPad.
We were greeted at the airport by my dad at nearly midnight
for then a 20 minute drive to their condo, where we would stay for two nights
until Matt and the team got to town. After a full night of rest, some breakfast
and coffee (thank you Jesus), we hit the road with Nana, Papa and aunt Alaina
to visit my grandparents. We haven’t seen my grandparents since Maggie was a
few months old and it was nice to be able to see them again.
Tuesday, us girls were off to Animal Kingdom! Animal Kingdom
was the perfect park to visit as our first park, it is much smaller and not as overwhelming.
I knew we were going to Disney during the busiest time of year, so made sure to
do FastPasses for both meet and greets, as well as rides. While there, the
girls met Mickey and Minnie, Chip-n-Dale, Goofy and Pluto. We saw some great,
cute shows: A Bug’s Life in 3D as well as the Lion King in a shortened musical.
The top must experience at Animal Kingdom is the Kilimanjaro safari ride. It
was AWESOME! You felt like you were so far removed from Orlando, Florida and on
a true safari. Giraffes literally walking right up to you, elephants bathing
near the watering hole and a beautiful lioness on top of a rock overlooking it
all.
We laid low on Wednesday: pool time during the day and then Matt and I went with the team for a special dinner at one of the Disney resorts to kickoff the tournament.
Followed with games on Thursday (Thanksgiving) and Friday.
Saturday was the big day at Magic Kingdom! Matt had an off day that he was able to join us. We arrive by 8:30 a.m. and didn't leave until 7:30 p.m. Even with all that time, we didn't make it to the Tomorrowland portion of the park. Even with it being the busiest week in the park, we got to do so much: ride tons of rides, meet Cinderella, Elena of Avalor, Ariel, Pooh and Tigger, saw a couple stage shows, the afternoon AND night parades, then a special lighting of the castle from Elsa, Anna and Olaf. It was all decked out for the holidays and even more beautiful than it is without. Magic Kingdom has the best parades with the best performers! If you ask Emma, the parades, meeting the princesses and the Dumbo ride were her favorites. It really is a
kingdom full of magic, music and dancing, lights, rides and dreams come true. No matter how old you are, Magic Kingdom truly is one of the happiest places on earth. I think Matt and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than the girls. Plus, to see the sheer delight and joy in the girls was a memory I will cherish a lifetime.
After an eventful and fun week in Orlando, it was up and at it bright and early Sunday for the girls and I as we flew back home to Iowa. Seriously, I am still blown away with how well these girls traveled and adapted to a long week on the road. I am also incredibly grateful to have had my parents and sister there with us to share in the memories and to have help with the girls.
